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Good morning. The old timers used to say, “Start steady, finish strong.” For myself at my age… most days I’m just happy to get out of bed.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Monday, December 1

Well, walking to the shop to lite the stove this morning the cold hit me right through my winter coat… with the temperature sitting around 7 F, about minus 14 C. The humidity’s high at 88 percent, so the air’s got that heavy feel to it even though nothing’s moving. Barometer’s down at 29.55 inches, which usually means something’s brewing, and the wind’s asleep this morning, not a lick of movement out of the northwest.

Looks like the day ahead will stay cold… not much warming to speak of. We could see some light snow sliding in later on. Right now the setup feels like one of those days where it stays gray and quiet along with a bit of sunshine, until mid to late afternoon, then we could see some more flurries.. Tonight, well tonight gets colder yet, and that could lay the groundwork for a bit more snow overnight.

Tomorrow’s shaping up cloudy with a few flakes left over in the morning, nothing major, then holding steady below freezing.

Nature’s signs… the trees were still this morning, not even a whisper through the spruce. Sky’s got that low, pale look to it, almost like it’s holding its breath. I’ve found that when the air sits this still and the cold bites sharper, something’s shifting, just hasn’t made up its mind how bold it wants to be.

Highway 522 is mostly bare in our area but there are some icy snow sections here and there especially in the curves.

On another note, for the past few days I’ve been working steadily in the old woodworking shop on that batch of new flutes I’m making. I’m at the point of tuning them all now, and I’d say I have about half of them done and I am happy to say that they’re all singing nicely. I’ve got around ten more to go.

So, what are you up to today, GW?

First off, I’m going to start up my old snow blower for the first time this winter and clean out our driveway, since we got about six inches of snow yesterday. I like to keep it cleared, because if someone drives in before I do, the snow gets packed down and that makes it that much harder on both the old snowblower and me. After that, I’ll rest a bit and have a cup of coffee, and then I’ll head out to the woodworking shop to get back to tuning flutes. At least, that’s the plan. One never really knows what a day will bring.

With that I am off for my breakfast that my lovely wife has made for me. You all have a great day.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

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Good morning. I have always said, “You can’t blame the hammer if you miss the nail.” Life’s pointed that out to me a few times since.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Friday, November 28, 2025

Well, you probably saw the same thing I did when you looked out the window… a good two inches of snow tucked in around the yard, clean and quiet, like it tiptoed in while we were sleeping. And it’s still coming down, that light steady snow, the kind that doesn’t hurry but never quite stops either.

Temperature’s holding near 21.5 F which is about -5.8 C, so the snow’s staying fluffy for now. Humidity is up at 88 percent, and the barometer’s down at 28.92 inches, so the day’s pretty much set for more of the same. No big storm feel to it, just a patient winter day settling in.

Wind’s still out of the WNW, about 7 mph, enough to drift the flakes sideways a bit but not enough to build real drifts yet. Today will stay snowy and cold. Tonight it’ll tighten up more, and the sky might clear for a while after midnight, but not before we get a bit more accumulation. By tomorrow morning I’d expect a crisp start and maybe a few leftover flurries.

Nature’s signs: The snow was clinging to the spruce needles in perfect little clusters, which usually means the air’s moist and mild enough to let it stick instead of blowing off. The clouds sitting low over the tree line looked soft around the edges… that often means the snow will taper off on its own once the air dries a bit.

Highway 522 is snow covered with some icy sections throughout this morning, which won’t make traveling all that good. My advice: stay home where it’s warm, as there will be lots of days when the roads are better.

On another note, yesterday I got back to tuning those flutes I’ve been working on. The first one—the same one that gave me a real headache a couple of days ago—finally came around. After a bit of fiddling and setting things straight, it sang like a songbird. It’s amazing how that goes: one minute, you’re ready to throw in the towel and move on, and then suddenly, it’s as if something shows you exactly what to do to fix it.

So, what am I up to today?

Well, earlier this morning I lit the old shop stove, so it should be nice and warm out there by the time I finish this blog post and have my breakfast. That’ll make it cozy for working on those flutes. That’s another thing—if it’s too cold, the flutes are hard to tune correctly, so patience is in order. Light the stove, let things warm up, fill the old stomach, enjoy a cup of tea and a chat with the little woman, and then—well, then it’s time to get to work.

With that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has prepared, then I’ll head out to the shop. I sure do enjoy working out there, especially on these cold winter days—with the stove going and a good project at hand, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

With that you all have a great day and remember: “Take things as they come, keep warm, and remember there’s no rush as simply put… good things have a way of working themselves out.”

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

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Good morning. My old Dad always said, “The day’s only as hard as your attitude.” Easy to forget, but true enough.

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Thursday, November 27, 2025

I was heading out to the woodworking shop this morning to light the stove, brushing a little snow off the brim of my hat. Just a dusting on the ground then, not even enough to crackle underfoot… but you could see it coming down steady, that quiet kind that means business even if it pretends otherwise.

Our weather station had things sitting right around 32.7 F 0.4 C, so everything felt damp and close. Humidity sitting at 81 percent and the barometer down at 28.62 inches tells the whole story. Pressure that low doesn’t point to quick changes. It just says settle in, this system’s staying awhile.

Wind are coming in out of the southwest, though you’d never guess. As there is hardly no wind showing on the meter and nothing moving in the treetops when I stepped past the shop door.

For today, the snow will keep on falling, light but steady. It’ll start to stick a bit more once the ground fully gives up its warmth. Roads’ll get slick faster than you think because of that first wet layer.

Tonight, the snow will continue drifting through. Temperature might slip just a touch below freezing. Enough to make the porch steps a bit greasy, so watch yourself if you’re heading out doors, or hauling in wood after dark.

Tomorrow morning, probably more flurries. Maybe a little brighter, maybe not. The thing is… these long grey stretches don’t rush themselves.

Nature’s signs… the cedars aren’t bowing yet, but you can see the tips getting heavy. The chickadees were sticking close to the spruces when I went to fill up our bird feeder earlier, not much chatter. The whole place feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting to see how thick this snowfall wants to get.

So, what are you up to today, GW?

Well, since my wife and I wanted to beat the snow we knew was coming, we headed off to North Bay yesterday to pick up some supplies and drop a few things off for our son. That meant I didn’t get a chance to work on the flutes. But today’s a different story as the shop is warming up, and I plan to start tuning them. Sometimes the process goes smooth as silk, but every so often, I’ll get one that really tests all my talents. Either way, that’s what I’m up to today!

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

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Good Morning: My old Dad used to say “A slow start’s fine, just don’t quit.” I’ll tell ya, those words have carried me through more days than I care to remember.

Explanation:
In plain talk: It’s alright if you’re slow outta the gate… just keep moving’ and don’t throw in the towel.

Highway 522’s pretty quiet this morning, not much traffic at all. Hunting season’s winding down, except for the bow hunters, and besides us locals, there’s hardly a soul moving around. Out here, way back in the woods, you know you’re local if you can recognize a truck just by the sound of its muffler or by how many ATVs are in the back!

Backwoods Weather Report – Port Loring, Ontario Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Walking to the woodworking shop this morning, the air felt damp and still with the temperature sitting at 38.66 F (3.7 C) and the humidity at 79 percent. Barometer’s down at 28.76 inches, and my weather vane shows a gentle ENE, wind.

Today will bring some cloudy skies with a couple of morning showers, turning breezy this afternoon with intermittent snow and flurries. Real-feel around 41F in the, shade or sun, so that chill sticks no matter where you stand.

Tonight and into tomorrow, more snow showers drift through. Highs tomorrow near 35 F, lows around 21, with two to four inches expected by Friday morning.

Nature’s signs: Trees and shrubs are quiet this morning, clouds are low and heavy, not a bird making a sound at my bird feeder. And… the air had that faint, metallic smell that shows up just before real snow hits the ground. Not the snow itself, it’s more like a mix of ozone and the damp earth waking up, stirred by the cold, heavy air right before a storm rolls in. I was taught that many years ago by my old friend Grey Wolf. Miss that old feller.

On another note I did manage yesterday to finish up making them totems for my flutes I am working on. But you know how it goes, sometimes things just don’t work out like you planned. My old chromatic tuner didn’t want to play along. I fiddled with it, gave it a few gentle taps (like that ever helps, but after thirty years, it’s not what it used to be. Guess I’ll have to bite the bullet and pick up a new one sooner or later. That’s just how it is, with woodworking, some tools hang in there, others finally throw in the towel.

With that, I’m off for my morning breakfast that the little woman’s got ready for me. After that, I’ll see what the day’s got in store, which usually isn’t quite what I had in mind, as truth told, every day’s a bit of a guessing game living where we do. Have a great day.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW